Rubirizi, Uganda – Skilled youth in Rubirizi have received equipment from the Ripple Effect Support Project, with an aim to fight poverty by empowering families to start their own businesses.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!A diverse range of equipment, including deep freezers, sewing machines, and chaff cutters, was distributed to about 4,000 beneficiaries to launch businesses in retail, skilled trades, and agriculture.
During a handover ceremony at Rutoto Sub-county headquarters, Ripple Effect Project Coordinator Mr. Robert Tamuzade stated that the project’s mission is to bridge the gap for youth who have ideas and energy but lack the tools and capital to start.
He emphasized that the project is an investment in stability and productivity, aimed at addressing the root causes of crime, domestic violence, and idleness by creating a generation of productive youth who can uplift their families and communities.
“Many of our young people have ideas and energy but lack the tools and capital to start. Ripple Effect is here to bridge that gap. Many cases of crime, domestic violence, and idleness among youth in Rubirizi stem from unemployment and hopelessness,” Mr. Tamuzade stated.
Rutoto Sub-county LC3 Chairperson, Mr. Milton Turyatemba, thanked Ripple Effect for its critical support, stating the equipment will enable youth to start small enterprises and promote long-term self-reliance.
“This equipment will enable our youth to start small enterprises such as tailoring, retail trading, ice cream and juice vending, agricultural processing, and animal feed production. This is about promoting self-reliance and long-term development,” he said.
The Rubirizi Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr. Ahamedi Kinene, commended Ripple Effect for complementing government programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM) but issued a stern warning to beneficiaries.
He added that the government values such partnerships for reducing unemployment, domestic violence, and crime, with the ultimate goal of building peaceful, hardworking, and developed families.
Beneficiary Ashaba Devis from Rwemitagu village expressed deep gratitude, stating the support has given him hope and marks a turning point from idleness to a productive future for his family and community.
Local leaders called for continued community support and guidance for the youth beneficiaries, as the ceremony concluded with a unified pledge to build a more peaceful and prosperous Rubirizi District.
Ripple Effect, formerly known as Send a Cow, is a development organization working across East Africa to promote sustainable agriculture, entrepreneurship, and family transformation.
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